Restoration on the River

Driving on Highway 100, you could pass through the river town of New Haven, Mo., in about three minutes. To the layperson, it looks like many small Midwestern towns — a bank, some schools, a market and a smattering of residences. But it’s bigger — and more charming — than first impressions allow. For Ellen and Mark Zobrist, it’s home. It’s historic. And it needs to be preserved.

“Ellen is a New Haven native,” says Mark, BA ’76. “Her family has lived here for generations.” Meanwhile, Ellen, BS ’76, quips: “Mark is a newcomer. He’s only been here 30 years.”

Together, the two have made their mark on the community (population 2,029) by purchasing, restoring and renovating a number of abandoned or dilapidated structures, including a 1939 movie theater, several homes built in the 1800s and the five-bedroom Central Hotel, which they reopened in 2004.